Lithographic machine platform and applications thereof

ABSTRACT

A lithographic machine platform and applications thereof is disclosed. The lithographic machine platform comprises: an electron beam or an ion beam generator generating an electron beam or an ion beam; a substrate supporting platform supporting a substrate; and a precursory gas injector injecting a precursory gas above the substrate. The present invention uses the electron beam or the ion beam to induce the precursory gas to react with the electron beam or the ion beam, and then the precursory gas is deposited on the substrate. The present invention not only fabricates a patterned layer on the substrate in a single step but also achieves a high lithographic resolution and avoids remains of contaminations by using the properties of the electron beam or the ion beam and the precursory gas.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a lithographic technology, particularly to an electron beam or ion beam lithographic machine platform and applications thereof, which is applied to the lithographic technology.

2. Description of the Related Art

Presently, in a advanced lithographic fabrication process, patterns are generated by using an optical method, an electron beam, a nano impression method on a specific polymer coating layer (namely, the polymer material that is sensitive to lights or electron beams), also called resist, through chemical reactions or variations of thermal current stress and then used as a required mask when the subsequent pattern is transferred. But the resist usually requires complicated thermal treatment, exposure and development or the hull release fabrication process. Besides, for the lithography technology with a high resolution, a thickness of the resist is not enough for consumption of the subsequent etching fabrication processes, and the resist further requires the bottom anti-reflection coating layer (BARC) in the optical lithography technology and the anti-etching film used as a mask, such as a silicon oxynitride hard mask. Therefore, many films need to be deposited, treated and etched. For example, refer to FIG. 1 showing the etching mask layer of the advanced immersion lithography fabrication process now. In order to sustain the consumption of the subsequent etching fabrication processes, the etching mask layer 10 comprises two hard masks (ACL/SiON) 12-14, a bottom anti-reflection coating layer 16, and a polymer coating layer 18. After the etching mask layer 10 is implemented with an exposure fabrication process, the polymer coating layer 18 is sequentially implemented with a post-exposure bake, a development and a hard baking fabrication process, and then the anti-reflection layer 16 and the hard mask layer 12 are etched, then the polymer coating layer 18 and the anti-reflection layer 16 are removed. Finally, the substrate 19 is etched. In other words, this procedure has to go through 11 steps. As such this procedure is quite complicated and time-consuming. When a process is added to this procedure, the possibility of abnormal fabrication process and products having defects is increased, and thus the production yield is decreased.

In view of the problems and shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a lithographic machine platform and applications thereof, so as to solve the afore-mentioned problems of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a lithographic machine platform and application thereof, whereby using an electron beam or an ion beam to induce a precursory gas or a precursory layer to react with the electron beam or the ion beam, and the precursory gas or the precursory layer is deposited to form a patterned layer with high resolution on a substrate lest a photo resistance used as a medium for a pattern transformation be required in the conventional lithographic fabrication process.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a lithographic machine platform and application thereof, wherein a precursory gas is not reacted with the undefined (un-irradiated) regions of an electron beam or an ion beam to generate deposition (residual). On the contrary, the existing advanced immersion lithography is moistened and stuck by an immersion liquid to create residual and contaminations.

Further objective of the present invention is to provide a lithographic machine platform and application thereof, wherein not only number of the steps of the lithographic fabrication process and the fabrication cost can be reduced but abnormal fabrication processes and production defects caused by the minute and complicated fabrication process steps can be reduced, and then the production yield is increased.

To achieve the abovementioned objectives, the present invention provides a lithographic machine platform comprising: an electron beam or an ion beam generator generating an electron beam or an ion beam; a substrate supporting platform supporting a semiconductor substrate; and a precursory gas injector injecting a precursory gas on a surface of the substrate. The precursory gas is reacted with the electron beam or the ion beam to form a patterned layer deposited on the surface of the substrate.

The present invention also provides a patterned layer fabricated with the above-mentioned lithographic machine platform, wherein the patterned layer is formed on a substrate and a precursory gas reacted with an electron beam or an ion beam is deposited to form the patterned layer.

The present invention also provides a method for fabricating a patterned layer comprising steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate; forming a precursory gas on the semiconductor substrate; and depositing to form a patterned layer on the semiconductor substrate by reacting the precursory gas with an electron beam or an ion beam.

The present invention further provides another lithographic machine platform comprising: an electron beam or an ion beam generator generating an electron beam or an ion beam; and a substrate supporting platform supporting a semiconductor substrate, and a surface of the semiconductor substrate is provided with a precursory layer to react with the electron beam or the ion beam.

The present invention provides a patterned layer fabricated with the above-mentioned lithographic machine platform, wherein the patterned layer is located on a substrate and a precursory layer reacted with an electron beam or an ion beam is etched selectively to form said patterned layer.

The present invention also provides a method for fabricating a patterned layer comprising steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate; forming a precursory layer on the semiconductor substrate; and reacting a part of the precursory layer with an electron beam or an ion beam to vary properties of the precursory layer; and etching the precursory layer selectively to form a patterned layer.

Below, the embodiments are described in detail in cooperation with the drawings to make easily understood the characteristics, technical contents and accomplishments of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the etching mask layer of the existing advanced immersion lithographic fabrication process;

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the first configuration of the lithographic machine platform according to the present invention;

FIG. 3( a)-3(b) are diagrams schematically showing the steps of fabricating a patterned layer used as a hard mask layer by using the first configuration of the lithographic machine platform according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an electron microscope photograph of a gate layer pattern of SRAM formed by a deposited hard mask layer reacted with an electron beam or an ion beam, which are generated by using the first configuration of the lithographic machine platform according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the second configuration of the lithographic machine platform according to the present invention; and

FIG. 6( a)-6(c) are diagrams schematically showing the steps of fabricating a patterned layer on a substrate by using the second configuration of the lithographic machine platform according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The spirit of the present invention relates to a lithographic machine platform and applications thereof, which forms a patterned layer used as a hard mask layer or other applications on a substrate by using the high lithographic properties of an electron beam or an ion beam. According to the above-mentioned description, the utilization and selection of the material of a precursory thing and a patterned layer, or the variations of process parameters are both within a spiritual scope of the present invention.

Refer to FIG. 2, which are diagrams schematically showing the first configuration of the lithographic machine platform according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, an electron beam or an ion beam lithographic machine platform 20 of the present invention comprises: an electron beam or an ion beam generator 22; a substrate supporting platform 24 positioned below the electron beam generator or the ion beam generator 22; and a precursory gas injector 26 injecting a gas, which is applied to react with an electron beam or an ion beam generated by the electron beam or the ion beam generator 22.

Next, refer to FIG. 3( a)-3(b), which are diagrams schematically showing the steps of fabricating a patterned layer used as a hard mask layer by using the first configuration of the lithographic machine platform according to the present invention. Firstly, as shown in FIG. 3( a), a semiconductor substrate 28 supported on the substrate supporting platform 24 is provided, wherein the substrate is selected from a silicon substrate, a germanium substrate, a substrate consisting of III-V group chemical compounds, or a substrate consisting of II-VI group chemical compounds. Next, a precursory gas 30 is injected above the substrate 28 by using the precursory injector 26, wherein the precursory gas 30 is selected from a precursory gas comprising metals or a precursory gas comprising a dielectric layer. Next, an electron beam or an ion beam 32 generated by the electron beam or the ion beam generator 22 depends on a preset and defined patterns to react with the precursory gas 30 selectively, and then the precursory gas 30 is induced to be deposited on the substrate 28. Finally, as shown in FIG. 3( b), a patterned layer 34 used as a hard mask layer is formed on the substrate 28. In other words, the defined pattern deposition only can be achieved in a step. Next, a pattern of the patterned layer 34 is transferred to the substrate 28 by a dry-etching technology.

Whether the precursory gas 30 is able to form deposition depends on a reactive energy given to the precursory gas 30 by the electron beam or the ion beam according to the scanning frequency and the staying time of a fixed point on a region of the preset and defined patterns. And the material of the patterned layer 34 depends on a type of the precursory gas 30, wherein the patterned layer 34 is a metal layer comprising platinum, wolfram, titanium, or tantalum, and the patterned layer 34 is also a dielectric layer comprising silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, or silicon carbide.

When the precursory gas is induced to deposit by the electron beam or the ion beam, the precursory gas has the lithographic resolution and high precision pattern transformation of the electron beam or the ion beam lest a photo resistance used as a medium for a pattern transformation be required in the conventional lithographic fabrication process. Besides, the precursory gas is not reacted with the undefined (unirradiated) regions of the electron beam or the ion beam to generate deposition (residual). On the contrary, the existing advanced immersion lithography is moistened and stuck by an immersion liquid to generate a residual and contaminations. Therefore, the method of the present invention has many advanced advantages for the aspect of controlling the yield rate. In fabricating the hard mask layer according to the embodiment, 9 steps can be eliminated as compared with the advanced immersion lithography of the prior art.

Refer to FIG. 4, which is an electron microscope photograph of a gate layer pattern of SRAM formed by a deposited hard mask layer reacted with an electron beam or an ion beam, which are generated by using the first configuration of the lithographic machine platform according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the substrate and the precursory gas are a silicon substrate and a gas comprising platinum respectively, and the substrate is grounded though a conductive copper adhesive tape. The correlation parameters of the electron beam or the ion beam comprises a accelerator voltage value, a current value, a scanning pass value, a staying time of a defined region and a dot matrix bitmap, which are 5 kV, 98-500 pA, once, 1 μs-100 μs and a format bitmap having 24 bits respectively.

Refer to FIG. 5, which is a diagram schematically showing the second configuration of the lithographic machine platform according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, an electron beam or an ion beam lithographic machine platform 36 comprises: an electron beam or an ion beam generator 38 and a substrate supporting platform 40 positioned below the electron beam or the ion beam generator 38.

Refer to FIG. 6( a)-6(c), which are diagrams schematically showing the steps of fabricating a patterned layer on a substrate by using the second configuration of the lithographic machine platform according to the present invention. Firstly, as shown in FIG. 6( a), a semiconductor substrate 44 is supported on a substrate supporting machine platform 40, and a precursory layer 42 is formed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate 44, wherein semiconductor substrate 44 is selected from a silicon substrate, a germanium substrate, a substrate consisting of III-V group chemical compounds, or a substrate consisting of II-VI group chemical compounds, and the precursory layer 42 comprises metallic materials or dielectric materials. Next, as shown in FIG. 6( b), a part of the precursory layer 42 a is selectively reacted with an electron beam or an ion beam generated by an electron beam or an ion beam generator 38 according to the preset and defined patterns, and then the properties of the part of the precursory layer 42 a is varied, such as the phase variation, the bonding variation, etc. Finally, as shown in FIG. 6( c), the precursory layer having different properties is selectively etched to form a patterned layer 48. The variation for the properties of the precursory layer 42 depends on a reactive energy, which is provided by the electron beam or the ion beam according to the scanning frequency and the staying time of a fixed point on a region of the preset and defined patterns.

When the patterned layer is used as a hard mask layer, the hard mask layer is provided to the substrate 34 for proceeding with the subsequent patterned fabrication processes.

In conclusion, the present invention provides a lithographic machine platform and applications thereof, which forms a pattern with a high resolution on a substrate without having to acquire additional treatments, such as a film-forming resistive preparation treatment, a development and a hard mask treatment. The present invention has a great developing potential for the lithographic technology in the future.

The embodiments described above are only to exemplify the present invention but not to limit the scope of the present invention. Therefore, any equivalent modification or variation according to the shape, structures, characteristics and spirit disclosed in the present invention is to be also included within the scope of the present invention. 

1. A lithographic machine platform comprising: an electron beam or an ion beam generator generating an electron beam or an ion beam; a substrate supporting platform supporting a semiconductor substrate; and a precursory gas injector injecting a precursory gas on a surface of said substrate, and said precursory gas is reacted with said electron beam or said ion beam to form a patterned layer deposited on said surface of said substrate.
 2. The lithographic machine platform according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is selected from a silicon substrate, a germanium substrate, a substrate consisting of III-V group chemical compounds, or a substrate consisting of II-VI group chemical compounds.
 3. The lithographic machine platform according to claim 1, wherein said precursory gas is selected from a precursory gas comprising metals or a precursory gas comprising a dielectric layer.
 4. The lithographic machine platform according to claim 1, wherein said patterned layer is a metal layer or a dielectric layer.
 5. The lithographic machine platform according to claim 1, wherein said patterned layer is a metal layer comprising platinum, wolfram, titanium, or tantalum.
 6. The lithographic machine platform according to claim 1, wherein said patterned layer comprises silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, or silicon carbide.
 7. The lithographic machine platform according to claim 1, wherein said patterned layer is used as a hard mask layer.
 8. A patterned layer fabricated with the lithographic machine platform described in claim 1 is located on a substrate, and a precursory gas reacted with an electron beam or an ion beam is deposited to form said patterned layer.
 9. The patterned layer according to claim 8, wherein said substrate is selected from a silicon substrate, a germanium substrate, a substrate consisting of III-V group chemical compounds, or a substrate consisting of II-VI group chemical compounds.
 10. The patterned layer according to claim 8, wherein said patterned layer is used as a hard mask layer.
 11. A method for fabricating a patterned layer comprising steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate; forming a precursory gas on said semiconductor substrate; and depositing to form a patterned layer on said semiconductor substrate by reacting said precursory gas with an electron beam or an ion beam.
 12. The method for fabricating a patterned layer according to claim 11, wherein said precursory gas is selected from a precursory gas comprising metals or a precursory gas comprising a dielectric layer.
 13. The method for fabricating a patterned layer according to claim 11, wherein said substrate is selected from a silicon substrate, a germanium substrate, a substrate consisting of III-V group chemical compounds, or a substrate consisting of II-VI group chemical compounds.
 14. The method for fabricating a patterned layer according to claim 11, wherein said patterned layer is used as a hard mask layer.
 15. A lithographic machine platform comprising: an electron beam or an ion beam generator generating an electron beam or an ion beam; and a substrate supporting platform supporting a semiconductor substrate, and a surface of said semiconductor substrate is provided with a precursory layer to react with said electron beam or said ion beam.
 16. The lithographic machine platform according to claim 15, wherein said substrate is selected from a silicon substrate, a germanium substrate, a substrate consisting of III-V group chemical compounds, or a substrate consisting of II-VI group chemical compounds.
 17. The lithographic machine platform according to claim 15, wherein precursory layer comprises metallic materials or dielectric materials.
 18. The lithographic machine platform according to claim 15, wherein said lithographic machine platform is applied to fabricate a hard mask layer.
 19. A patterned layer fabricated with the lithographic machine platform described in claim 15 is located on a substrate, and a precursory layer reacted with an electron beam or an ion beam is etched selectively to form said patterned layer.
 20. The patterned layer according to claim 19, wherein said precursory layer comprises metallic materials or dielectric materials.
 21. The patterned layer according to claim 19, wherein said substrate is selected from a silicon substrate, a germanium substrate, a substrate consisting of III-V group chemical compounds, or a substrate consisting of II-VI group chemical compounds.
 22. The patterned layer according to claim 19, wherein said patterned layer is used as a hard mask layer.
 23. A method for fabricating a patterned layer comprising steps: providing a semiconductor substrate; forming a precursory layer on said semiconductor substrate; and reacting a part of said precursory layer with an electron beam or an ion beam to vary properties of said precursory layer; and etching said precursory layer selectively to form a patterned layer.
 24. The method for fabricating a patterned layer according to claim 23, wherein said precursory layer comprises metallic materials or dielectric materials.
 25. The method for fabricating a patterned layer according to claim 23, wherein said substrate is selected from a silicon substrate, a germanium substrate, a substrate consisting of III-V group chemical compounds, or a substrate consisting of II-VI group chemical compounds.
 26. The method for fabricating a patterned layer according to claim 23, wherein said patterned layer is used as a hard mask layer. 